Duds for Dudes Blog Tour

My son has been asking for a satchel since he was 5. He's 11. It's high time I stopped putting off his request. While he didn't exactly receive a satchel, this is probably better than what he requested since he can use it and keep his hands free.

When this blog tour opportunity came up, I jumped on the chance for a few reasons:

1. I seldom sew for my son. Not that I don't want to. It's just challenging to make the time when there are so many other projects that need to be done.
2. Sewing for boys tends to be "boring" when compared to the ruffles and frills that can be made for girls.
3. It's very hard, like really, really challenging, to find fabric for boys that isn't baby-ish or "girly" looking. Usually I have just a few options: camo, denim, or flannel. See what I mean? Not exactly exciting. I mean how many pairs of camo pants does one guy need?

I've had the Two Pretty Poppets Little Freehand Pack in my pattern stash for a few months. I purchased it when it was first released and the sale price was just too good of a bargain to pass up. I knew I would sew it...eventually.

And then as I was browsing the Mabel Madison website, lo and behold, I found the PERFECT fabric: not too baby-ish, definitely not "girly" and the best thing--it isn't camo! (Nothing against camo, but enough is truly enough.) This was my first time sewing with Stenzo poplin, which is a truly wonderful and versatile woven fabric. I chose the Auto Parts in blue and a coordinating print called Pit Stop--also in blue.

The Little Freehand Pack pattern can be made as a fanny pack style of pouch that belts around the waist. Options include a backpack style and a cross-body style. The inside can be sewn as one large compartment or with a divider to make 2 smaller compartments for keeping little treasures in their own places. We opted for one large compartment for storing tools and equipment while playing on adventures around the house. I like that he used the belt part to clip on his walkie-talkie and flashlight pen.

Sewing for boys isn't boring. In fact it's quite enjoyable especially when you know that the recipient will be pleased with the finished product. AND that he will use it daily.

What are you planning to sew for the boys in your life?

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And don't forget to visit all of the blogs on this tour! Check in each day on the Mabel Madison blog for links to all the participating blogs.

A huge thank you to Mabel Madison for providing me with my choice of up to one yard of fabric for this tour! I chose a half yard each of the two different fabrics, which I linked in my above post. I wasn't required to leave a positive review, but I really do love the fabrics that I chose and I love my finished product that I made using them!

A New Look Blog Tour + Giveaway

I'm honored to be participating in the Gracious Threads A New Look Blog Tour (read to the very end for the giveaway). I have been looking forward to sewing the Rainbow Tee and Cirrus Skirt ever since they were released. My challenge was to sew up "a new look" in some way, shape, or form. I chose to sew the garments as suggested with no modifications. But I chose to sew them in camo colors for my girlie here. This is my girl who prefers to wear jeans and a t-shirt, so the new look for her is wearing a skirt and wearing camo. She generally chooses bright colors to wear, which look fantastic on her, but it was time to try something different. She wasn't too thrilled about the fabric choices at first, but once she tried them on, she commented about how comfortable they were and decided that she really did like wearing them. I can imagine this skirt would be super comfy sewn up in some sweatshirt knit and layered with leggings for the winter.

Holiday Gift Ideas--Swoodson Says Blog Tour

This pattern was adorably fun to sew. I had a fabulous time digging through my stash of scraps and deciding which fabrics would look good where. Once I had placement all settled, it was a matter of sewing the camera together. I actually enjoy doing machine applique and this camera was no exception. Applique is just so satisfying and I like the dimension it adds to a project.

What you should know about this pattern.

Bundle Up! Jillian Tank by Greenstyle

I had the pleasure of sewing the GreenStyle Jillian tank for the Women's Bundle Up sale. Talk about versatility! This one pattern includes the following: the tank that you see pictured here, an outer tank, a sports bra, and a bandeau. You can choose to add the sports bra to the inner tank and the bandeau or leave them off. Each tank can be worn together or separately. You can also choose to add a band to the bottom of each tank.

I chose to make the inner tank in swimsuit fabric. I added the sports bra to the tank using swim lining fabric. I'm planning to make some matching swim bottoms for a complete suit. Which bottoms pattern should I make? I was thinking that I would use the Mykonos swim pattern for the bottoms (also part of the bundle up sale).

The inner tank has 2 neck cutting lines. I used the higher neckline since it is going to be a swimsuit, and I wanted better coverage for swimming.

The fit is fantastic. I was afraid it was going to be too snug, but it seems that this pattern has just the right amount of negative ease to account for the stretch of the fabric.

Don't miss out on these patterns while they are on sale during the Bundle Up sale. You can save at least 50% by buying a bundle of patterns together. After the sale they will all be available for sale at the individual designer's shops.

Pattern details:

Size range: XXS-3XL
Inner tank designed for knit fabrics.
Outer tank can be made in knit or woven.
No trim pattern pages
Layered printing so you can print only the size you need

What I liked about this pattern:

The inner tank with the sports bra addition was a quick and easy sew. I thought the straps were going to be a pain in the butt, but they weren't. The binding did take patience, but it was worth the effort and extra pinning to get a neat finish.

What I would change about this pattern:

Nothing. Seriously. I wouldn't change a thing about this pattern. It is so versatile that you could make several tops in different fabrics and no one would notice that you were essentially wearing the same top.

The wide size range means that I can make tops for myself and my teen girls from this one pattern. The inner tank especially appealed to me for layering purposes as well as those adorable crossed straps!

Which patterns will you add to your bundle?

 and while you're at it, hop on over and visit me on Facebook!

Kenzie's Party Dress Blog Tour!

I'm back! And this time I'm participating in a blog tour for Everything Your Mama Made. If you are looking for the perfect dress for the holidays, look no further! Follow the blog tour and see what everyone is making and perhaps get a bit of inspiration for your holiday sewing. There is a 30% off coupon code available when you purchase Kenzie's Party Dress pattern. And don't forget to enter for the giveaway--there are some AMAZING prizes up for grabs.

Soleil Dress Pattern Tour and GIVE-AWAY!

 Remember my post a few weeks ago about the Soleil Dress by Selvage Designs?

I love this dress pattern and have plans for several more. I just need to find the time to make them!